


For their Sake

by Lavenderhydrangea



Series: Fallout 3/Viola Shaw [3]
Category: Fallout 3
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-13 00:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16882167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavenderhydrangea/pseuds/Lavenderhydrangea
Summary: "Outside of a dramatic or comedic novel, Viola never thought she’d see a grown man seriously arguing with a child. And she never thought that she’d be their go to mediator. Like most things he did, she didn’t know why Butch thought it was a good idea to go back and fourth with James. Granted he was a class A brat but that was no excuse."





	For their Sake

Outside of a dramatic or comedic novel, Viola never thought she’d see a grown man seriously arguing with a child. And she never thought that she’d be their go to mediator. Like most things he did, she didn’t know why Butch thought it was a good idea to go back and fourth with James. Granted he was a class A brat but that was no excuse.

Everyday for a month at around five he would situate himself in the Muddy Rudder, and just sit there and nurse one single beer instead of his usual whiskey shots. His reduced intake should’ve been good news but there seemed to be ulterior motive. She was always more attentive whenever she caught whiff one of his schemes and would watch quietly as she dogged his every step until everything revealed itself. But because of their massive argument a while ago she had to at least try to pull back more. On one hand her trying was good since it spared them another big one but on the other hand it stunk because she wasn’t sure he was doing his part by trying too. It drove her crazy when she would wake up and find no trace of him save for some scribble on yellowed paper: “Rudder.” Did he not realize how much ink and pencil lead he could have saved if he used his pip boy to leave a message instead? 

Some days she waited until he came back, and on the days when she heard reports of a slight mutant movement towards the settlements on the radio, she’d pretend she had a quick job or two in Rivet City. Then she’d “happen” on the bar, and sit in the corner until James asked her to control her idiot.

 

One time James looked liked he’d had cursed Butch out until he was red in the face. “That’s why you smell bad, you loser! Really bad. Worse than a wild Brahmin” He looked at her. “Are you going to take him home or am I going to have to deal with him?”

 

“I’m afraid that’s not my call little guy--” He glared at the nickname “I mean James. I’m not responsible for him. He leaves when he leaves. Or when Brock kicks him out.” She shrugged.

 

“I smell? Your mom ain’t taught you nothing about bird-baths or at least cycling between two shirts and I smell bad?”

 

Stop and listen to the earth shattering dialogue of smells! She just didn’t understand. They would go back and fourth until it was time for everyone aside from security to turn in for the night. He didn’t even terrorize her that bad when they were back in the vault because he would get bored after a certain point.

 

James spoke louder and with a warning tone.“Leave my mother out of this.”

 

“Sure thing, brat.”

 

“I mean it. Don’t talk about her anymore.” He looked as if he were mentally grasping for something. “What about your mom, huh? Where’s she? I saw your vault suit when you took off your stupid jacket. Everybody knows weird stuff happens in the vaults. Your mom’s being experimented on and you’re out here. You left her. Mom says any man that leaves their family is better off dead.”

 

Butch’s eyes hardened and though the tip of the beer bottle was at his lips he didn’t drink.

 

Viola got up so fast the legs of her chair screeched against the floor. “You two need to knock it off and you,” she pointed at James “need to apologize. Now.”

 

“I thought you said you weren’t responsible him. You’re fighting for him now?”

 

“I’m fighting the urge to get kicked off this ship for child endangerment.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, nosebleed.” He finally drank some of his beer in gulps then wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “It figures he’d go there. He’s probably been nothing but trouble since-” The rest never came. Instead, he chuckled but it wasn’t one of the snorting ones she was accustomed to. It lacked humor and stirred an odd sense of pity in her. “My fault, kid. I didn’t really mean to talk on your mom like that. And you don’t smell all that bad. Just splash yourself with some of the water from the bathroom and wear a shirt besides the one you always wear from time to time.”

 

“Yeah, and maybe I’ll forgive you. And maybe I don’t really think you smell bad.” James said, his voice still rife with an edge.

 

With the situation defused, Viola thought it was good time to either head back to Megaton or rent out a room in the Weatherly Hotel. It was dinner time and soon it would quickly transition into dark and dangerous nightfall. Butch developed just enough common sense in his time out in the Wastes to decide between getting a room of his own or hitching a ride back home with a caravan if he ever stayed past daylight hours, so she didn’t have to worry about him.

 

She ran into Tammy on her way up the steps. For once, the resident alcoholic wasn’t stumbling or slurring through her usual rantings. Obviously she had plans to change that since she was stepping foot into the bar.

 

“What’s he doing here?” She sneered.

 

Viola looked around. The only hes there was Brock, Butch and James. She didn’t want to disrespect her intelligence by asking her if she meant Brock.

 

“The guy that looks like he dunked his head in grease? He’s a semi-regular here. I’m surprised you haven’t run into him sooner.”

 

“Not him. My husband’s son.” She said, glaring at James.

 

Wasn’t he her son too?

 

“You didn’t know he was here?” There were rumors going around about her lack of parenting skills. It wasn’t unbelievable. It wasn’t even the worst of what she heard since she became a Wanderer but that didn’t stop her jaw from dropping when she was so upfront and unrepentant about it. “Do you normally not know where he is?”

 

“Take your holier-than-thou attitude and strangle his good for nothing father with it, hun. He knew he was leaving me with a mess. Probably sleeps well at night knowing he doesn’t have to put up with what I have to.”

 

Butch and James were still talking, though it looked as if Butch was doing most of the talking since James glanced in their direction practically every second. Butch would glance too. He was more vigilant than anxious. Viola focused on Tammy again who had been wrapped up in her own resentment fueled spiel. Sober or not she’d usually go on for as long as anybody stayed, listened and didn’t inject their opinion too much. 

 

For their sake, Viola could hold her tongue and Tammy for a few minutes.

**Author's Note:**

> Do you have any writing tips? Let me know below!


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